Surfers catch huge waves on Rockaway Beach from Hurricane Erin
Surf’s waaay up, dude!
Surfers flocked to Rockaway Beach in Queens Thursday to ride a swell of giant waves kicked up by Hurricane Erin — as the storm threatened to flood some nearby coastal areas.
“There’s more adrenaline out there because the waves are bigger,” said Michael Kololyan, 35, who runs a surf school in the neighborhood.
Kololyan hung ten on waves that were 6 to 8 feet tall Thursday afternoon — and had to cancel surf classes because the conditions were too gnarly.
“These hurricane swells have been traveling for thousands of miles. It’s bringing an intense amount of energy to the coastline,” he said. “It’s experienced people only out there right now.”
Waves on Rockaway beach peaked at 9 feet Thursday and swelled up to 16 feet on the Jersey shore, said FOX Weather Senior Meteorologist Greg Diamond.
Overall, Hurricane Erin is expected to have only a minor impact on the Big Apple weather Thursday night and Friday with breezy winds up to 30 mph, Diamond told The Post.
But coastal sections of southern Long Island and the entire Jersey shore are at risk of flooding as the storm churns northwest, he said.
“One thing we do have to watch for is high tide. There could be some moderate coastal flooding,” he said.
High tide will hit Long Island around 9 a.m. Friday morning and the Jersey shore at 8 a.m., he said.
In New York City, Friday is expected to be “pretty gorgeous,” in the mid-80s and partly sunny, Diamond said.
Saturday will be sunny and also in the mid-80s after the storm leaves.
Credit to Nypost AND Peoples